353 - Australian Healthcare Week 2023 Feature Episode
In this feature episode of Talking HealthTech, join Peter Birch at Australian Healthcare Week 2023 in Sydney, Australia.?
With over 5,000 attendees, 150 expert speakers, loads of exhibitors, and seven distinctive stages, Australian Healthcare Week is the hot ticket for anyone involved in healthcare in Sydney. From the digital health stage to patient experience, aged care startups and much more, this is the place to be if you’re in Sydney and into healthcare innovation.
In this special feature episode of Talking HealthTech , we staked out a space right next to the digital health stage, conducting interviews with leading speakers, networking with other attendees and members of the THT+ community, and connecting with everyone making an impact in healthcare.
Hear from Harry Iles-Mann , a passionate Health Consumer Advocate, to Jeanette Anderson , Director of Digital Health at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital , and Grahame Grieve , Principal at Health Intersections. We also had insightful conversations with Sandip Kumar from Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service , Alan Forbes , CEO of Patient Experience Group , Sandra Cook from ACT Health , and Ben Chiarella of Ramsay Connect . Each of these guests brought unique perspectives and insights to the table.
To top it off, we were joined at the end of the episode by THT+ Member and Ambassador, Ruby Hartley, who shares her insights and reflections with Pete after the event.
Harry Iles-Mann - Health Consumer Advocate
Harry Iles-Mann is a health consumer leader. ?In this discussion he emphasised that the patient should always be the centre of care and all stakeholders need to work together to improve healthcare.
Patient-Centred Care
The heart of healthcare is patient-centred care. Unfortunately, this principle has not been fully developed. Many people think that patient-centred care only entails putting the patient in the middle. While that is necessary, it is not enough. Providing care that meets the patients' needs requires much more. It requires an understanding of the patient's unique circumstances, their specific condition, and their preferences. It also requires a willingness to listen to the patient and work with them to achieve the best possible outcomes.
The Evolution of the healthcare sector
Over the years, Harry Iles-Mann has witnessed changes and evolution in the healthcare sector. At this event this year, for instance, there was more linkage between different parts of the event on the day. This demonstrated the spirit of intersectionality and interoperability, which is essential for delivering patient-centred care.?
Making Healthcare Patient-Centred
Making healthcare patient-centred is essential because healthcare is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Different people will need different types of care.
One way to achieve patient-centred care is by leveraging digital innovation in the health space. According to Harry Iles-Mann, who was part of a panel discussing the consumer perspective on digital innovation in the health space, this is especially important. Unfortunately, when it comes to implementing patient-centred care, many healthcare providers look at it from a top-down perspective rather than a bottom-up approach.
For example, it's like a coliseum, where the seats at the top might be considered patient-centred, but if you haven't created a terraced seating system, patients who are farther down may not be able to see or hear anything. They may also be unable to access care or are left out of discussions.
Bringing Consumer Perspectives to the Table
Finally, Harry Iles-Mann believes that people should have a more nuanced and mature approach when engaging with consumers in the community. Consumers are more than just consumers. They can bring multiple perspectives to the table, and they often have a deep understanding of the intersectional processes within the health sector.
He hopes that people can engage with consumers and see them as bringing more than just their lived experience. They can bring a unique insight and perspective that can make healthcare more patient-centred.
Jeanette Anderson - Director Digital Health, The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
In the healthcare industry, technological advancements are becoming more and more popular. However, important discussions around the integration of electronic and physical spaces are not being had enough. Jeanette Anderson, the Director of Digital Health at the Victorian Eye and Ear hospital in Melbourne, recently spoke about this subject. Anderson shared lessons learned from a redevelopment project at the hospital and emphasised the importance of involving IT and ICT departments in new facilities.
Cybersecurity is a Major Concern
In recent years, cybersecurity has become a major concern, especially in the healthcare industry where patient data is considered sensitive. Anderson spoke about the challenges that hospitals face in keeping patient data safe while still achieving innovation. Startups who want to work in healthcare must be aware of this challenge and find ways to incorporate cybersecurity while allowing patient control of their data. Multifactor authentication is not only inconvenient, but also difficult to implement. However, given recent breaches, the need for cybersecurity measures outweighs the inconvenience.
ICT Needs to be More Than an Afterthought
At times, ICT has been relegated to the role of an afterthought in hospital design. However, as technology becomes more crucial in all aspects of life, including healthcare, incorporating ICT upfront is important. This includes placing computers in the most efficient location for hospital staff while taking into consideration communication with patients and access to their records. Clear egress and signage are also important for patient safety. It is also important to keep the placement of patients and providers in mind, especially for those who need to rely on lip reading or are blind.
The Role of Digital Health at the Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
As Director of Digital Health at the Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Anderson is responsible for overseeing the informatics team, digital health projects, and ICT team in areas like servers and cybersecurity. The remit of this role also includes cybersecurity governance. On a panel for startups, Anderson talked about the challenges around cybersecurity and privacy when dealing with patient data. Hospitals must involve IT and ICT departments when they build new facilities to provide the best care to their patients. The IT team is essential for making sure systems are up, ready, available, and redundant, and is not just considered “the guys in the basement.”
Grahame Grieve - Principal, Health Intersections
At Australian Healthcare Week, Grahame Grieve, the product director for FHIR, discussed the state of digital health in Australia. Grieve highlighted the need for investment in building proper foundations for digital health, citing workforce capacity as a primary issue. He expressed hope that Australia can catch up to other countries in digital health over the next ten years but also acknowledged there is still a long way to go in the development of digital health in Australia. The conversation also addressed the importance of building community standards and consistent behaviour.
The State of Digital Health in Australia
Grahame Grieve, an expert in healthcare interoperability data exchange, spoke about the current state of digital health in Australia. The key takeaway from this conversation is that building workforce capacity is the most significant issue holding back progress in the field of digital health.?
Grieve suggests that the lack of skilled people in healthcare who are making it a career is hurting the progress of digital health. ?According to Grieve, Australia has a long way to go in terms of digital health development. He expressed hope that over the next ten years, Australia can catch up to other countries by investing in building proper foundations. However, Grieve also acknowledged that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of building better communication and breaking down silos in the healthcare industry.
Building Community Standards in Healthcare
The conversation also addressed the issue of building community standards in healthcare. Grieve expressed frustration with a former government's lack of progress in the field, highlighting the importance of getting the foundations and plumbing of a project correct. He asserts that without this, progress will be hampered and can result in sliding around like on sand.
Building workforce capacity is the most significant issue holding back progress in this field, according to Grahame Grieve. He also addressed the importance of building community standards in healthcare. It is important to get the foundations and plumbing of healthcare data exchange correct to achieve progress.
Despite the challenges, there is hope for the future of digital health in Australia. Continuing to build the HL7 & FHIR community in a progressive way by building the plumbing constraint is the way forward. To make meaningful progress in digital health, we need to turn conversations about healthcare into real-world change by developing community standards and consistent behaviour.
Sandip Kumar - Executive Director, Strategy, Transformation, Major Capital and Digital, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service
At Australian Healthcare Week, Pete spoke with Sandip Kumar, the Executive Director for Strategy Transformation, Major Capital, and Digital at Gold Coast Health. Over the last three years, Kumar has overseen a bespoke transformation function within healthcare, and is responsible for overseeing all major capital initiatives, research agenda, technology innovation, and revenue models. Kumar shared his unique perspective on building innovation capability in the public hospital system and discussed the Liberate Initiative, which uses technology to connect patients and clinicians and streamline workflow.
Building Innovation Capability in the Public Hospital System
Kumar highlighted the role of public healthcare systems in shaping markets and enabling them to focus on what's most valuable. He stressed that while public sector organisations won't be able to solve everything and build all the necessary technology themselves, they offer a way for the market to focus on what's most valuable to them and computing across industries.?
Kumar believes in the importance of the marketplace answering more complicated things that will likely have more value in the market.
Kumar also discussed the unique approach being taken at Gold Coast Health. The Digital and Information Service team has brought in teams with diverse backgrounds, including executives from the airline industry and product teams from banking and retail, to foster innovation. Kumar and his team are developing everything in-house, instead of constantly looking for external solutions. The result is a faster pace of development and a focus on building healthcare and patient products with great experiences driving adoption and value.
The Liberate Initiative
Kumar's proudest transformation program is the Liberate Initiative, which uses technology to connect patients and clinicians and streamline workflow to make it easier for clinicians to provide care instead of administrative tasks. The initiative includes integration, automation, advanced analytics, and web digital assistance, among others. What sets the program apart is that Kumar and his team are developing everything in-house instead of looking for external solutions. They recognise and appreciate external vendors, but they also believe in the value of their internal capabilities.
Kumar's unique perspective on building innovation capability in the public hospital system provides useful insights into the benefits of in-house development and partnerships with external vendors. If you're a vendor attending an event or listening to the podcast, consider solutions that could complement a system's internal efforts and offer added value. It's exciting to hear about a hospital health service seeking innovation and new approaches, and vendors have a chance to make an impact. As Kumar notes, healthcare is a team sport, and everyone has a role to play in fostering innovation and building better patient outcomes.
Alan Forbes - CEO, Patient Experience Group
Alan Forbes - CEO of Patient Experience Group speaks about the challenges facing the healthcare industry today. While advances in technology and access to resources have expanded dramatically over the years, there seems to be a growing disconnect between healthcare providers and patients. One possible solution to this challenge is the concept of "co-design", which brings together patients and medical professionals to design better services and delivery in healthcare. In this conversation, we'll take a closer look at this concept and why it can lead to better outcomes for everyone involved.
Co-Design: Patient-Centric and Experience-Driven Services
The healthcare industry can be overwhelming for patients as they navigate through various services and protocols. According to Forbes, co-design brings together the patient voice and the healthcare staff voice to design better services and service delivery in healthcare. The aim is to create the best pathway forward that prioritises patient-centric and experience-driven practices. While the concept of co-design is still gaining traction, it is heartening to see that some large healthcare organisations are beginning to incorporate it from an end-to-end perspective. With co-design practices, patients have a more active role in their care, which can result in better engagement and adherence to treatment plans.
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Data Collection: The Importance and Purpose
Health technology has enabled healthcare providers to collect vast amounts of data on patients. However, Forbes poses the question of whether these departments collecting and reporting on data are treating it merely as a means to an end. While high-quality and interoperable health tech data is critical to the future of healthcare, it is essential to consider the purpose behind this data collection. For example, dashboards with great technology exist, but there needs to be a discussion about how to use this data meaningfully. As Forbes mentions, the Patient Experience Group offers advisory and consulting services, including organisational change initiatives to improve quality for staff and patients. This way, there is a more humanistic approach towards the use of health technology data, where the ultimate goal is to shorten patient journeys and provide more accessible healthcare services.
Challenges Faced in the Healthcare Industry
The healthcare industry is facing multiple challenges that are compounding over time. Workforce burnout and shortages, increasing chronic diseases among patients, and other complexities mentioned in the podcast are creating a tricky situation for everyone involved. For example, patients may lack access to community GPs, leading to increased visits to emergency departments. Emergency departments may outsource functions to manage the workload, which leads to a spiral downwards in patient experience. As the healthcare industry continues to navigate these issues, it is crucial that patients' voices are heard. Alan Forbes encourages everyone to embrace the concept of bringing patients' voices into the room, especially those patients who may not have a voice. By listening to the discussion, it is evident that the healthcare industry is working hard to create a more connected and efficient system to provide better outcomes for everyone.
In conclusion, the episode with Alan Forbes offers excellent insights into the healthcare industry's challenges and possible solutions. Co-design, prioritising patient voices, and a humanistic approach towards health technology data collection are essential to create a more accessible and connected system. As healthcare providers continue to navigate these issues, it is important to keep the ultimate goal in mind - that of creating better outcomes for patients.
Sandra Cook - Executive Group Manager DHR, ACT Health
Sandra Cook, from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), talks about the state wide roll out of a digital health record system and its implementation in the healthcare industry.?
The implementation of the digital health record system involves bringing together various aspects. According to Sandra, healthcare historically has struggled with contextual communication of information. The aim is to provide information in a language that is clear and understandable for patients. To achieve this, it is essential to take small steps, get feedback along the way and iterate.
The rollout of the digital health record program in the ACT has been successful and is an inspiration to other health systems. Over 185,000 people have signed up for the patient portal, and 40% of those accessing public health services are using it to help with their care. The patient portal enables patients to receive their pathology results quickly, see scheduled appointments, and summaries in patient language.
The implementation process had a few challenges along the way, including a limited timeframe, lack of existing infrastructure, and risk-averse government policies. The team took these into account and created a digital health record function, which required building and migrating records from existing systems, creating a portal for the Canberra community to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments.
The speaker acknowledges that the digital health record journey is just the beginning and states that things have gone well so far. The pilot involving four GP practices and an Aboriginal Health Service using a provider portal to access patient information from the public system is a significant step forward for the healthcare industry's digital transformation.
The implementation of the digital health record system in the ACT public health system is a significant milestone in the healthcare industry's digital transformation. The aim is to provide patient-centric healthcare by speaking in a language that is clear and understandable for patients, and the implementation process will continue with small steps, feedback, and iteration. It is a successful initiative that can serve as an inspiration to other health systems looking to implement a territory-wide solution to provide a service to people within the region.
Ben Chiarella - Director of Clinical Innovation, Ramsay Connect
Ben Chiarella joined the podcast to discuss the work of Ramsay Connect and their efforts towards challenging the current healthcare system in Australia. He specifically addresses the need to re-examine different models of care funded in the country, especially those that are not confined to physical facilities.?
Virtual Models of Care
One of the most significant points Chiarella makes is the need to focus on virtual models of care. He notes the importance of providing care without physical walls or facilities. This is especially relevant to the current pandemic situation, where a digital approach to healthcare works well for both clinicians and patients.
Human Home-Based Models
Chiarella mentions that the focus of innovation should be on human home-based models of care. He stresses the need to move away from solely relying on physical healthcare facilities and moving towards healthcare services that are based in the patient's home. He also notes that virtual home health services are also critical in improving health outcomes for people in Australia.
The Slow Progress of Healthcare Innovation
Another key point that Chiarella notes is the sense of frustration surrounding the slow progress of healthcare innovation. He observes that there is a sense of repetition at conferences with the same conversations happening repeatedly. Despite this, he remains optimistic that healthcare is in the middle of transformation and is hopeful that change can occur now.
There is a need to re-examine the healthcare systems in Australia to ensure that it meets the needs of the population. The current pandemic has accelerated the need for virtual healthcare models, and innovations like human home-based models of care have become more critical than ever. It's time for all healthcare professionals to take a closer look at how healthcare is delivered and identify areas that can be improved, especially around providing care without physical walls. With new ideas, healthcare innovation doesn't need to be slow, and we can see progress happening in the healthcare industry.
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